Chapter 607 The tree fell and the hozen scattered
For the eight towns in Jiangnan, the sky has fallen!
If we say that Yang Lixin was defeated earlier, you can also say that this grassroots bandit was not familiar with war and his military discipline was corrupt, so he was taken advantage of by the enemy and ended up like this.
Feng Kuan's failure can be said to be arrogant and domineering, and he advanced rashly, so he was surrounded by enemies and his entire army was destroyed.
In the eyes of the direct subordinates in the eight towns in the south of the Yangtze River, as long as He Zudao is still there, they can turn around and turn defeat into victory.
But He Zudao also failed.
Moreover, he fought head-on with the enemy and was defeated by the enemy's majestic breakthrough from the front.
What makes everyone feel most shameful is that at the most critical moment of the war,
When all the soldiers are working hard,
Their commander,
Their respected general He Zudao,
Leaving behind his subordinates who were still fighting for him,
One person ran away.
He Zudao's escape kicked off the defeat of the entire army.
A general is the courage of an army,
My courage is broken,
Where can we still fight this battle?
The first person to escape said this and was immediately denounced as a rumor to deceive the public, ruining the general's reputation and killed without mercy.
The second, third, and even the tenth said this. Everyone was already panicking, but in order to maintain the morale of the army, they locked up these people and prepared to wait for the general to come and deal with them personally.
But when the hundredth person said the same thing, everyone fell silent.
Everyone didn't have to wait long for the last boot to hit the ground.
He Zudao is dead.
He was killed by Li Dachui, the Protector of the Beiting Protectorate, in a head-on battle.
This is the biggest bad news for the direct subordinates in the eight towns in Jiangnan, but it is also relatively good news.
The reason why it is relatively good news is that He Zudao died in battle.
In this way, everyone can use this as a reason to gather a group of people who are determined to avenge their crimes to hug each other and stay warm.
With more strength and greater strength, we may be able to find a space for survival.
Of course, if they knew that He Zudao was caught up and killed while escaping,
That's probably a double blow.
It’s just that people will choose to believe in things that are more beneficial to them,
So for the worst possibility, everyone simply ignored him.
Chen Jianren sat there silently, clutching the armrests of the chair with both hands, his veins exposed. From the time the news came, he had maintained this posture for a long time.
The hall is getting noisier and noisier,
More and more officials from the eight towns in the south of the Yangtze River gathered here.
The dust has settled,
The next thing everyone needs to discuss is how to survive.
Chen Jianren knows very well,
People's hearts are scattered,
Naturally, it will be difficult to lead the team.
After He Zudao died, none of his children could support the situation, and he himself did not have enough prestige to control these people.
Where to go now, everyone has their own demands, and they must not be able to pee in the same pot, so it is inevitable to break up the group. Think about how high-spirited and full of hope everyone was when the general traveled south from Chang'an a few years ago, returned to the eight towns in the south of the Yangtze River, and raised 5,000 old troops to go north to Hedong.
In just a few years, they were all dead.
"The plan now is to find another way out immediately, otherwise everyone will not end well!" Someone finally couldn't help but spoke first. Chen Jianren glanced at Zhong Xuexin, the governor of Runan County.
"What do Sheriff Zhong think we should do?" Someone immediately cheered. It was obvious that the two had communicated before, so they sang together at this time.
No one asked Chen Jianren first, although at this time, among everyone present, Chen Jianren had a higher status.
But unlike Yang Lixin and Feng Kuan, who both have their own direct troops and strength range, Chen Jianren usually appears more in the form of He Zudao's butler.
He Zudao is there, he is the proper number two figure.
He Zudao is gone. The key is that there are not many of his direct troops left.
Chen Jianren's influence naturally ceased to exist.
"Can we still have a second way now?" Zhong Xuexin said: "We can no longer be independent, so we can only go to those who can protect us. The only one who can protect us now is Chang'an and Luoyang!"
"What Governor Zhong means is that we defect to Linghuye?"
"What do you think?"
"I think what Governor Zhong said is reasonable!"
Chen Jianren suddenly wanted to laugh. Zhong Xuexin had always been in contact with Luoyang, and their hookup didn't just start today.
Ever since He Zudao brought everyone back to the eight towns in the south of the Yangtze River, both Chang'an and Danyang have been working hard. Not just them, but also the generals, aren't they also swinging back and forth in the hope of gaining greater gains?
Now that the general is gone, everyone has to choose a new master.
He turned his attention to Yue Qi who was aside. He was the governor of Anlu County and had always had close ties with Chu Di.
Sure enough, Yue Qi said directly: "I think it would be better for us to defect to Jiang Qian!"
"Are you crazy? Li Dachui and Jiang Qian just killed the general, who is our enemy. Do you want us to go to the enemy and work for the enemy?" Zhong Xuexin jumped up and cursed: "Yue Qi, the general treated you badly during his lifetime. It’s okay if you don’t want to avenge the general, but you are going to join the enemy!”
Yue Qi looked at him coldly and said: "The general treats us all well. If we are grateful for our kindness, we should gather together now, swear to serve the eldest son, and then send troops to Ruyin Yong'an." Avenge the general instead of discussing who to defect to! Zhong Xuexin, as long as you nod, we can invite the eldest son out now, how about it?"
Zhong Xuexin looked at Yue Qi with an ugly expression, but stopped talking.
Yue Qi snorted and said: "The battle between the general and Li Dachui Jiang Qian is upright. If you lose, you lose. Since we have no idea of revenge, we naturally have to take a long-term view. Go to Linghuye, let's go How much capital do you have now? Are we afraid that Li Guohua will immediately force us to attack Yongan Ruyin as soon as we defect? How much better can our situation be than now? It would be better to raise troops immediately and let the world remember our loyalty. "
Some people in the hall couldn't help but nodded slightly, as if this was the truth!
"It's better than surrendering to the enemy!" The man who had previously supported Zhong Xuexin said.
"In the fight for the world, the winner is the king, and the loser is the bandit. Today we are enemies, but tomorrow we can be friends!" Yue Qi said: "Everyone, I said that I would go to Li Dachui and Jiang Qian not only for the sake of our future, but also for the sake of our future. Let’s think about it now!”
"Governor Yue, please tell me in detail!" On the side of the living room, a group of people who had been silent spoke up, led by Sheriff Chongling and including many powerful local people.
"The reason is very simple!" Yue Qi said: "Now Jiang Qian and Li Dachui are weak in this area. They are facing the attack of Chu State and the pressure of Linghuye. They want to survive and grow. It is not enough to rely on the support of just one Shu county. Therefore, they will definitely try every means to strengthen themselves and unite all the forces that can help them. If we go over at this time, we will not be regarded as abandoned sons and pawns, but will be treated as if they are abandoned. Get enough attention.”
"It's not like we have to fight!"
"The difference here is huge, Commander Zhong, don't say you don't understand!" Yue Qi said: "Go and join Jiang Qian. We won't be sacrificed casually, because every ounce of strength is precious to them, but if you go It's completely different to go to Linghuye. Does Linghuye, who is sitting in the Central Plains, really care about the defeated generals like us? "
(End of chapter)